July 24, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • Page 19 Real-world fears encroach on adolescence by Dennis Seuling “Ginger & Rosa” (Lionsgate) is the story of two inseparable 17-year-old girls who ditch school together, discuss religion, politics, and hairstyles with equal fervor, and dream of lives more promising than their mothers’ frustrated domesticity. The time is 1962, and the girls have begun to take independent paths. Rosa (Alice Englert), who was raised by an inattentive mother, is troubled and shunned by other kids and their parents. She smokes cigarettes, longs to find love, and is nearly oblivious to the mounting tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, believing it is all in God’s hands. Ginger (Elle Fanning) is far more seri- ous. She writes poetry and is concerned about nuclear war. There is considerable tension between this girl and her mom (Christina Hendricks) and intellectual, atheist father (Alessandro Nivola), who was a conscientious objector during World War II. Timothy Spall, Oliver Platt, and Annette Bening deliver excellent supporting per- formances as Ginger’s gay godparents and their friend Bella. Director Sally Potter re- creates the era convincingly. Those who are old enough to remember the fears of the Cuban missile crisis will find the film captures that tension and uncertainty of that time. “Ginger & Rosa” is an atypical coming- of-age movie given an interesting spin by its time frame and depiction of a traditional type of family life that could simultane- ously offer security and restlessness. DVD extras include deleted scenes, cast inter- views, audio commentary with Potter, and two making-of featurettes. “Detention of the Dead” (Anchor Bay) focuses on a group of high school kids sentenced to after-school detention. When the school is attacked by flesh-eating zom- bies, the six trapped students -- lovesick nerd Eddie (Jacob Zachar), “goth” chick Willow (Alexa Nikolas), stuck-up cheer- leader Janet (Christa B. Allen), her bully boyfriend Brad (Jayson Blair), stoner Ash (Justin Chon), and dumb jock Jimmy (Max Adler) -- must battle hordes of the hungry undead. Though the characters are glar- ingly stereotypical, they are also zombie- knowledgeable. Because they have seen the zombie flicks and learned what works and what doesn’t, they feel reasonably equipped to confront the attackers. Combining some grisly images with frequent touches of dark humor, the picture plays like an apocalyp- tic “Breakfast Club,” with teenage angst trumping imminent annihilation. Spe- cial features on this DVD release include writer/director audio commentary and a making-of featurette. “Hollywood Canteen” (Warner Archive) Elle Fanning (left) and Alice Englert portray close friends whose paths diverge in ‘Ginger & Rosa.’ is based on an actual USO-sponsored club established during World War II by Bette Davis and John Garfield for servicemen only. Stars waited on tables, washed dishes, and mingled with the GI’s, maybe offering a dance or two. This musical is a star-stud- ded fictionalized tribute to this undertak- ing. The plot is thin, but star power more than makes up for it. Slim (Robert Hutton) is a fresh-faced GI on a three-day leave. When he hears about the canteen, his only (continued on Crossword page)